Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site

During a nearly 45-minute back-and-forth Friday judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tried to sort out the details offered by both sides in the case of an Indian trader who lost his job at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site due to questionable actions by the National Park Service.

Billy Malone, an Indian trader who was forced out of Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Arizona by National Park Service investigators, is taking his case for damages to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Living in the Rocky Mountains is a great asset when it comes to visiting national parks, for there are so many in just about any direction you head. The past year took me north and south through the region to a diverse collection parks, and I also ventured to Virginia to explore the National Park System.

A lawsuit brought against National Park Service personnel by an Indian trader forced out of Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Arizona is continuing, with an effort to have a judge reconsider the matter.

In its long-hidden report on the National Park Service's mistake-prone investigation of the business side of Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site the Interior Department's investigative arm cites significant missteps by Park Service investigators and raises questions of the propriety of both the Park Service and Inspector General's probes.

In The Case of the Indian Trader, author Paul Berkowitz peels back the luminous outer skin of the National Park Service to reveal a dark and dysfunctional culture, one that by his accounts at times has placed itself above the law.

A lengthy Interior Department investigation into the National Park Service's investigation into alleged embezzlement at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site raises troubling questions pertaining to managerial oversight, investigative thoroughness, and an inappropriate relationship between the agency and a concessionaire.

Native American Art has been popular with collectors in recent years, but unless you're well-versed in the trade, how do you know you're buying a genuine piece of work? One way is to make your purchase at one of the semi-annual auctions held at Hubbell Trading Post National Historical Site. The next one is coming up on September 18, 2010

National Park Service investigators and managers who looked into the business operations at Hubbell Traing Post National Historic Site exhibited "poor case management" and "poor judgment and performance," according to top agency officials.

Interior Department officials launched an intriguing web portal the other day, one touted as promoting transparency in government operations. Well, one place Interior officials could create a whole lot of transparency is by adding more staff to handle Freedom of Information Act requests, which currently move at a glacial pace.

Portions of an Interior Department review of an investigation of alleged insider theft from the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site cite shoddy work and potentially criminal misconduct by a special agent within the National Park Service’s Intermountain Region.

A case stretching from the dusty high desert of Arizona all the way to Washington, D.C., has many of the markings of a Tony Hillerman novel -- conspiracy, intrigue, and wrongdoing in Indian country. It also has spurred a lawsuit accusing a number of National Park Service officials with misconduct and wrongful seizure of property belonging to a man described as one of the "last authentic Indian traders."

If you're interested in Native American art but are hesitant to purchase such items for fear they're not authentic, here's a chance to get the real deal, right from the artists themselves. The Friends of Hubbell Trading Post are holding their semi-annual Native American Art Auction at the national historic site on Saturday, September 19.

Native American art is treasured by many for its beauty and, in many cases, ties to the landscape. On May 9 if you find yourself in eastern Arizona you'll have an opportunity to bid on some of this artwork.